BCS fumbles again in selection process

December 05, 2006|WENDELL BARNHOUSE Fort Worth Star-Telegram

When it comes to flaws, the Bowl Championship Series never fails to provide. Some years, it's a team losing its last game, but backing into the title matchup. Other years, it's the inability to separate fairly three undefeated teams from major conferences. The BCS has proven that no matter the checks and balances, things can get out of whack. Sunday brought this year's final BCS standings. The headline news version: Florida will play Ohio State in this year's national championship game. But the Gators got there thanks to a major swing in the human polls. (And while the Harris Poll is one-third of the BCS formula, there is absolutely no evidence that former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris was involved in the tallying.) "It's an imperfect system. That's not gonna change. It's gonna be imperfect again next season." Those words were spoken by Florida coach Urban Meyer, whose team benefited from the imperfect system. The coaches' poll was short one ballot. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel declined to vote. Coaches' final ballots will be made public Monday in "USA Today". Tressel apparently decided that no matter how he voted -- Ohio State one, Florida two, Michigan three; Ohio State one, Michigan two, Florida three -- he'd be spending most of the week explaining himself. "I thought it wasn't appropriate with the circumstances like they were," said Tressel, whose sweater vest might be made of Teflon. "We were in a unique situation and that it was a conflict of interest. It was the best thing for Ohio State that we didn't vote." Michigan coach Lloyd Carr votes in the coaches' poll. Carr was asked about Tressel not voting. "That was real slick," he said. Coach Carr, would you not vote if you found yourself in a similar situation? "No." Just a note: Ohio State plays at Michigan next season. Get ready for a big time in The Big House. The rivalry would have been stoked by a rematch, but Tressel's decision not to vote will no doubt be a rallying cry for the Winged Helmets next November. Carr and Meyer also have issues. Carr accused Meyer of campaigning for voters' votes. Carr declined to fan the flames Sunday. Meyer defended his comments -- paraphrased, Michigan had its shot, if there's a rematch, blow up the system. "I was asked my opinion and I gave it," Meyer said. "It got twisted around and analyzed. "I can understand why Jim decided not to vote. A year ago I was asked to vote in the poll. I declined. I'm never going to vote. It gets posted. We've got enough trouble with our biggest rivals without providing bulletin-board material." What's wrong with the system this year, then? The coaches, the supposed experts about college football, don't want to vote because they don't want people to know how they voted. Who can guess what went through the mind of the 170-plus voters in the coaches and Harris polls? After USC lost, did most believe that Florida was the nation's second-best team? Or did the voters rebel against the possibility of a rematch? While Michigan went into the weekend No. 3 in both polls, not enough voters decided to move the Wolverines up to No. 2. Michigan, like Florida, has one loss. That came in its final game, 42-39 at Ohio State. There were seven voters in the Harris poll who had top-three combinations that didn't include Ohio State, Florida and Michigan. Jim Walden voted Florida No. 1; Larry Keech and former Texas Tech President Robert Lawless voted Florida No. 5. Tim Neverett voted two-loss USC No. 3. Those are the bright lights determining the national championship. Not that anyone is listening, but more coaches are going to start clamoring for a playoff. "There are questions that need to be raised each year, there are always issues," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "Until they play this thing off like most of the coaches want to do, you have to keep working to get as close to the truth as you can."